"In
the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is
something different from the purpose of either party; and yet the
human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the best
adaptation to effect his purpose. I am almost ready to say that this
is probably true; that God wills this contest, and wills that it
shall not end yet. By his mere great power on the minds of the now
contestants, he could have either saved or destroyed the Union
without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And, having begun,
he could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the
contest proceeds."

--U.S. President Abraham Lincolnpersonal note, September, 1862

As the American Civil War entered its second year, it was apparent to
most that the conflict would last longer, and require many more soldiers,
than first believed. In July 1862 President Lincoln issued a
call for 300,000 additional volunteers to join the Federal Army. This website is dedicated to
the 1,036 men who answered Lincoln's call by serving in the 80th
Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Their deeds and sacrifices helped to preserve the United States of America as one, undivided
nation, and to destroy the institution of human slavery within it.

Descendants of 80th soldiers and other interested persons are
encouraged to explore this website and to contribute information and images related
to the regiment and the men who served in it. If you have or know of relevant
information or images, please contact the webmaster using the email link at the
bottom of any page on this site.

NOTICE: This website is currently undergoing improvements
to its appearance and navigation links. As a result some pages will look different than others, and some links
may not work correctly. My apologies for any difficulties you may
encounter as a result of this work.

"The hour was sad I left the maid, A lingering
farewell taking, Her sight and tears my steps delay'd, I thought her heart was
breaking; In hurried words her name I blessed, I breathed the vows that bind
me, And to my heart in anguish press'd, The girl I left behind me."--from the song
The Girl I left Behind
Me

This section contains interesting facts about the 80th Indiana, some of the soldiers who
served in it, and their experiences during the war.

"We don't know as much
about the war here as you do at home...We here so many things that we never know when to believe
anything that we hear."
--Pvt. Daniel McDonald, Co. E, 80th Ind.,
letter to
his father

Alphabetical rosters of the soldiers who served in the 80th Indiana, with some military service information about each
of them. Start here if you are searching for a specific soldier.

"No personal significance, or
insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial
through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to
the latest generation."
--President Abraham Lincoln, Annual Message to
Congress, Dec. 1, '62

This section contains links to profiles of 80th soldiers; many have
a photo, some have genealogical data. Come meet some of the
80th's gallant "Boys in Blue."

"In the stillness of night, when the stars
mildly shine, My heart fondly holds, a communion with Thine; For I feel thou
art near, and where'er I may be, That the Spirit of Love keeps watch over
me."--From the 1852 song Thou Art Gone
From My Gaze by George Linley

A detailed record of the regiment's 3 year service during the Civil War, by year, month, and day.

"...I have
decided to call into the service an additional force of 300,000 men. I suggest and
recommend that the troops should be chiefly of infantry...I trust that they may be
enrolled without delay, so as to bring this unnecessary and injurious civil war to a
speedy and satisfactory conclusion."--President Abraham Lincoln, Call for 300,000
Volunteers,
issued July 1, '62

Master lists of photos, paintings, and drawings of 80th-related people,
places, things, and events, with links to the images.

"We have march'd along together in the sun and the rain;
We've fac'd the fight together, and together borne the pain! And each one tells his
story of the wound or the scar -- We were comrades together in the days of the war."--From
the song We Were Comrades in the Days of the War by
Col. Joe Whitfield and Colin Coe

80th-related activities, you can do, including researching the regiment and
its members, relatives reunions, 80th-related reenactments, and visiting
places the 80th went.

"When the comrades have departed, when
the veterans are no more, When the bugle call is sounded on that
everlasting shore. When life's weary march is ended, when campfires
slumber long; Who will tell the world the story, when the boys in
Blue are gone?"
--From the poem When the Boys in Blue are
Gone by John Hendricks

List of the modern '80th Volunteers' who have helped to make this
website possible by their generous gifts of time and information.

"We are springing to the call of our
brothers gone before, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom, And we'll
fill the vacant ranks with a million Free men more, Shouting the
battle cry of Freedom."
--From the song Battle Cry of Freedom by
George F. Root

This page has been visited times since January 1, 2000.

This website Copyright by
Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep
Vee Productions. All Rights Reserved. Created January 1, 2000. Last updated
March 6, 2005.